Government cracks down on abandoned vehicles, as figures suggest thousands without MOT

There are thousands of vehicles across Gibraltar without a valid MOT, the Ministry for Transport has found as it launched a crackdown on abandoned vehicles.

At a press conference in No.6 Convent Place on Tuesday afternoon, the Minister for Transport, Dr John Cortes, announced a ramped-up effort to remove derelict and unroadworthy vehicles from public roads, freeing up parking spaces.

A video played at the conference showed statistics as of November 13, 2025.

The figures showed that there are 52,472 vehicles registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Department (DVLD). Included in that number is a total of 9,017 cars and 7,254 motorbikes without an MOT.

The Government’s figures show the number of vehicles that have not had an MOT in over five years stands at 11,681, while looking at statistics as far back as 28 years there are 25,138 without an MOT.

Gibraltar has only 14,654 parking spaces available and has 12,922 residential addresses.

The statistics suggest that many vehicles have either been left derelict or have not been removed from the register by owners.

Unveiling the plan, Dr Cortes said this will remove two problems.

“One is vehicles on the road abandoned and not cared for and still there, and also vehicles which are in circulation but haven't gone through the necessary tests at the centre, what we commonly call the MOT,” he said.

Led by the Ministry of Transport’s Stuart Harrison and supported by the DVLD and Royal Gibraltar Police, the campaign’s approach is to enforce existing laws, make procedures easier, and call on the public for help.

“The idea behind this, instead of building more parking, is seeing if we actually free up what we already have,” he said.

Not having a valid MOT means insurance is not valid, as well as the vehicle not being safe for the road and for other road users.

“Not having a road worthy certificate is actually quite a serious deal, and nothing to be to be ignored,” he said.

In terms of statistics, he said that 4,183 vehicles do not have an MOT from when the expiry date is less than a year.

He questioned if these are vehicles that no one wants, or have been abandoned in Spain, or simply the old motorbike a parent bought for a child when they turned 17 and responsibility for the vehicle is no longer considered by the parent.

“We're quite sure this is down to just people not checking, or people not declaring the vehicle is no longer required, or exists, or has to be sent for disposal. But either way, it's something that has to be addressed,” he said.

“And part of the initiative is to encourage everyone to actually check the paperwork, check the vehicle if they still want it, is it still available?”

Mr Harrison acknowledged that this newspaper asked last month why a discrepancy existed between the number of vehicles registered versus accounted for in the census.

The department has been collating this information since.

The amount of street parking available is only 35% in terms of number of vehicles.

“It is a problem. There's not enough parking for everyone in Gibraltar, and we need to deal with it,” he said.

The solution is a coordinated response between the Ministry, Gibraltar Parking Management Services Ltd and the RGP.

Enforcement teams have already begun identifying, documenting, and removing derelict vehicles across all zones of Gibraltar.

This is coinciding with the usual street cleaning campaign, where notices will go up 48 hours before the area is set to be cleaned.

Any vehicles which are left behind will be removed.

The law changed from it being no longer necessary for a vehicle to meet all previous criteria before being removed.

“We’ve now changed the ‘ands’ to ‘ors’, so if the vehicle has no MOT or looks derelict or has been there 28 days, then we can remove the vehicle from public highway. So we've actually made that easier for our enforcement officers,” said Mr Harrison.

Paul Chiara from the Ministry for Transport who collated the information presented, noted the penalties for not complying with the new measures.

“A derelict vehicle ticket carries a £200 penalty, reduced to £100 if paid within 14 days. If the vehicle has to be removed, a £60 tow truck fee applies, along with storage charges of £15 per day at the compound,” he said.

On a more serious note, he said: “If you’re caught driving a vehicle without MOT, that, I believe, is a £300 fine, and it also has points on your licence.”

However, there’s a free alternative and owners can simply hand the vehicle log book to the Roads Policing Team at the RGP, or to Gibraltar Car Parks, sign the vehicle over for disposal and state where it is, the vehicle will then be removed at no cost, relieving the owner of all responsibility and liability.

Dr Cortes acknowledged that people may not have an MOT and stressed people should not worry if it is just “for a short period of time that they've forgotten”.

“We are giving people a period of time in order to regularise the situation,” he said.

He added that the department will encourage people to go online and check if they need an MOT and to book an appointment if need be.

The Ministry stated that it was all types of vehicles, cars, vans and motorbikes, which no longer have a valid MOT and therefore either need to be scrapped or have a new MOT.

At present, it is not clear which area is more prone to derelict vehicles, but officials are “interested to see which are the most affected areas”.

The campaign does not affect private estates, which would be a matter for the estate management to deal with. However, if a vehicle is driven or moved onto a public highway, it would be subject to removal.

“If your car has to be repaired, keep it in a private garage, keep it off the road, and make sure it’s got an MOT,” said Dr Cortes.

The campaign wants to educate drivers and the video urged owners to: “Ensure your vehicle is roadworthy, insured and has a valid MOT. Unroadworthy or unused vehicles left on public roads may be treated as derelict. Second, do not store unused vehicles in public parking bays… And third, report derelict or abandoned vehicles in your area using our hotline or online form.”

“Your report helps free parking spaces and keeps our neighbourhoods safe.”

The benefits go beyond better parking and tidier streets, with Dr Cortes noting that those with no MOT may be emitting more than they should, describing an air quality issue as well.

Dr Cortes concluded: “The message is, if you don’t want the car, report it for scrapping. If you do want the car, check it’s got an MOT. If it hasn’t, book an appointment, it’s as simple as that.”